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Daniel Clowes new graphic novel Patience drops in late winter and it’s sure to be the comic book event of the first half of 2016. Promised as a SF tale about time travel and love, it’s a powerful return for Clowes. And you’ll be able to get your copy signed, and doubtless hear a talk […]

0 Comments on Daniel Clowes is going on tour for “Patience” as of 1/4/2016 9:44:00 PM

When autumn comes, nature begins to slow down, and my brain
wants to go into a deep sleep.
It’s the time of year when some of us come up against a wall
and can’t see beyond it.
Where does the wall come from? Why does it appear? How do we
deal with it until it vanishes? Maybe we should just go into hibernation and wait for it to
fall down on its own.
Writing—or trying to write—on

It took all day to write something that I didn’t even know I
wanted to write.
I sat at my desk for hours trying to think of something to
write and at the end of the morning I left an unmarked sheet of paper on my desk, the same blank sheet that I'd started with when I sat down earlier.
It was like diving and returning to the surface
empty-handed.
I hadn’t found any pearls on the sea

Sometimes writing can feel as if I’m making headway one day,
only to find myself retreating the next.
Two steps forward, one step back.
It’s as if I’m swimming effortlessly through the water and
then unexpectedly hit a strong current, and everything changes.
My pace slows, my arms feel fatigued, my legs weaken, and I fear sinking to the bottom.
And then, just as suddenly, the

Fantagraphics has been teasing something new from Daniel Clowes for a few weeks and now and here’s the official word: Patience, a new 180-page graphic novel from Clowes is coming in March 2016. It’s described as “an indescribable psychedelic science-fiction love story.” Certainly the art seems like a technicolor throwback to some of Clowes earlier genre-influenced work, as well as The Death Ray.

The book veers” with uncanny precision from violent destruction to deeply personal tenderness in a way that is both quintessentially “Clowesian,” and utterly unique in the author’s body of work,” the blurb continues. “This 180-page, full-color story affords Clowes the opportunity to draw some of the most exuberant and breathtaking pages of his life, and to tell his most suspenseful, surprising and affecting story yet.”
￼
“Patience is the best book yet by probably my favorite cartoonist ever,” said Fantagraphics associate publisher Eric Reynolds, “and I can’t wait for people to have the chance to not take my word for it.”

The preliminary cover image, above, also recalls come earlier Clowes work, including the cover to David Boring and the splash pages to some of his Eightball work. But you’ll be able to check all that out for yourself when The Complete Eightball comes out in a few weeks. It’s good to have Daniel Clowes back.

Series: A Follow-Along Book Written by Betty Schwartz & Lynn Seresin Illustrated by Neiko Ng Chronicle Books 3/01/2015 978-1-4521-2464-3 10 pages 7″ x 7” Age 0—2 x x “Help bunny hop through the die-cut holes as she explores the garden. Where will she go? How many colors will she see? Warm illustrations and a playful adventure teach little ones hand-eye coordination and introduce them to reading fun. Punch out the piece and follow along!” [back cover]

Review Before reading and hopping through the die-cut hole, Bunny must be released from his stationary spot on the cover. Adults, this is your first job. All done? Good. Let’s open the book and begin.

“Bunny likes to play in the garden. “Hop, hip Bunny. Hop between the red flowers.”

Now help your little one help Bunny hop from his home in the tree stump through a garden of red roses—look out for the snail! Bunny continues to explore, hopping up and over rocks, under a green bush, and other garden spots along the way. Bunny never gives away where her journey will lead her, how long the adventure will last, or if she has a goal.

Not only will children continue developing hand-eye coordination, but they will also learn patience and concentration. To guide Bunny through each bunny-shaped die-cut hole, none of which line up with the hole before or after it, children must first lift the right-side page, then hop Bunny—paws on the ground, please—to her next destination. A sturdy ⅛th inch ribbon, strung through each hole and then embedded into the front and back covers, keeps Bunny from losing her way.

Hop, Hop Bunny’s digital illustrations are colorful and have delightful details. Each spread contains additional critters for children to find, identify, and count. Young children will enjoy the inclusive nature of Hop, Hop Bunny, and its companion Run, Run Piglet . Children will have Bunny repeating her journey until her paws ache and her tummy growls. A terrific activity-story that will increase a child’s interest in books and the many ways they entertain us.

"Make an empty space
in any corner of your mind, and creativity will instantly fill it."--Dee Hock
"Once you
are empty then there is no barrier for the divine to enter in you." - Osho
It may sound like a contradiction to try to empty your mind
when you write.
After all, if your mind is “empty,” how can you possibly
find the words and images you need to set down on paper?
But I’d like to

Writing’s not a career for the faint-hearted or those
seeking instant gratification.
So much of a writer’s life is spent waiting—waiting for
words to come, stories to appear, the next critique group to meet, the response
to a manuscript or contract from an editor or agent.
Waiting can transform your writing life into a daunting
succession of days filled with agony, self-doubt, and

Peter Carnavas is an award-winning children’s author and illustrator, some of his titles including The Children Who Loved Books, Last Tree in the City, The Great Expedition, The Boy on the Page, The Important Things and Jonathan!. Peter’s books consistently provide both children and adults with heartwarming, humorous and thought-provoking experiences that leave a […]

Liminality, as I understand it, is that betwixty/betweenish space in life. A waiting room. Life’s belly button. An incubator. But it’s more than that. I see liminality as a place of active, intent anticipation intended to transform and prepare us for what’s to come. Wow. Pretty deep, huh?

Soon I will be leaving my preparing place to bounce into a new phase in my publishing pursuits– querying agents and editors. Up to this point, I’ve been writing/revising/researching/daydreaming in a liminal space that exists between the time I decided to become serious about writing and the stage to come when others will see my work and choose to love it or leave it. This long season of liminality has been challenging (to put it politely), but I believe say I am a better person for it (and sheesh, let’s hope a better writer!)

Oh, sure. I know the minute I hit “send” on the first query I submit, I will slip into a new level of liminality, but now I feel more prepared for the transition. And between you and me, I believe the outcome will be worth the wait.

The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms. ~ Thích Nhất Hạnh

Classes Start Friday

I’m in a bit of a transition right now, so I’m not sure if classes will be offered in November or not and which. I’m expanding and growing! So, if are interested in Fairy Online School classes, they start Friday! Here’s the catalog of classes to choose from. Hope to see you in class!

A story of sweet and simple practical tips on how a child might become an adept whale-watcher and the virtue of the wait! This includes what you will need, such as time for wondering and an ocean. But the little boy also receives gentle warnings about distractions one might need to avoid, like the lure of sweet pink roses or the temptation to cloud-gaze.

Why I like this book:

Waiting is hard for an adult. For a little child waiting can feel interminable. This soothing, lyrical language, gentle rhythm and perfect pacing make this a great choice for bedtime or a quiet moment in the day. The illustrations and text breathe patience and an invitation to astute observation even for little eyes. Through all of the potential distractions (even the pirates are alluring) the reader is constantly centered on the clear goal of seeing a whale.

The illustrations are light and filled with wonder and depth. You see the perspective already on the choice on the front cover of making the ocean so high and vast! The dog and bird are also delightful companions to the little boy on each spread. Sometimes I am more drawn to either the words or the pictures in a picture book, in this case, I love both equally. The illustrations are created with pencil and linoleum print techniques, and peppered with humor, whimsy and depth. The last two pages with the barnacle-encrusted whale swimming right under the boy’s boat and then just the tip of the whale emerging are worth the wait and you may wonder if they had been there, ‘unseen’, all along.

This is truly a talented paring of author and illustrator and I will stick my neck out and say I think this picture book may well win some awards.

Activities:

A predicting activity – if you want to see a (tiger, hawk……) you would need to……. and be careful to avoid…………….

Loved your phrase &quot;waiting is writing, only without words and paper.&quot; We are not just writers or artists when we sit down to work. It is something that informs our consciousness every moment, a way of viewing the world. Even when I don&#39;t have my camera I am noticing the world in a much different way than I used to, fully present to both my surface thoughts and the stirrings

In the end we need to find a way to get the words on paper, but sometimes I think we forget that writing is more than just sitting at our desks putting words down.<br />The waiting is, as Lev says, &quot;a profound and essential part of the process.&quot; <br />And as Lynn says, &quot;We are not just writers or artists when we sit down to work. It is something that informs our consciousness every

How many times must a man look up Before he can see the sky? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind The answer is blowin’ in the wind. 4.5 stars Bob Dylan’s iconic song, Blowin’ in the Wind, comprises the text for a beautiful children’s book by artist Jon J. Muth. Muth has [...]

For you, what is the hardest part of writing? Getting started? Making time? Finding ideas, or maybe dealing with rejection?

Perhaps the hardest part is the endless waiting that goes with this profession. You wait for word from a critique partner, then an editor or agent. When a book comes out, you wait for reviews and reader reaction and sales figures.

The question isn’t whether you will have to wait during the publishing process. You will. It’s a fact, no matter who you are. The question is how you will wait. Waiting involves more than entertaining yourself (with blogging, reading, watching movies, talking on the phone, or eating out) to make the time pass with less stress.

Ingredients of Waiting

If you want to survive in this thing we call the writing life, your waiting has to be different. While it’s a difficult skill to learn, you need to wait patiently, productively, and expectantly. Here’s what Webster’s has to say…so think about these traits in connection to your writing life.

Productively: having the quality or power of producing, especially in abundance; yielding results; continuing to be used in the formation of new words or constructions.

Expectantly: looking forward to something with a high degree of certainty; usually involves the idea of preparing or envisioning; much more than wishful thinking

Honest Self-Assessment

Is that how you wait to hear from an agent or editor? Are you uncomplaining (to yourself, your critique group, your family, your blog readers)? Are you steadfast, not making hasty decisions (like sending angry emails or posting nasty comments in discussion groups)? Do you show forbearance under the strain? Then you wait patiently.

Do you work on other projects while you wait? Do you continue to study and go to your critique group? Do you refuse to sit and not write until you hear the fate of your current manuscript? Do you focus on the current work-in-progress, giving it your undivided attention? Then you wait productively.

Do you have a clear vision of where you want to be as a writer five years from now? A year? A month? Do you work hard and work consistently on your craft, expecting to improve steadily over time? Even while you wait, are you preparing yourself physically and mentally to be the writer you’ve always wanted to be? Then you wait expectantly.

Be a Professional

Wannabe writers complain when editors and agents don’t respond within a week. Wannabe writers won’t write another word until they sell their current manuscript. Wannabe writers continually tell themselves and others that the odds are terrible and they’ll never sell anything.

Professional writers don’t like waiting either–nor do they always like the answer that comes. But they don’t waste the waiting time. They use it to write and grow and move ahead.

Waiting well is a skill you can acquire. You (and everyone in your environment) will be happier if you learn this skill. Don’t let waiting times–no matter how long they drag on–cause a setback in your writing.

If waiting well is a problem for you, don’t just read this post, agree mentally, and move on with you

The question isn't if you can write. The question is do you have the patience to write? Every step of this process requires patience:Patience to find the time to write.Patience to listen to your heart.Patience to wait for words to appear.Patience to let the story unfold.Patience to reach the end of the first draft.Patience to begin again... and again... and again.Patience to recognize that each

Cute only gets you so far in the real world. Capturing the glee of victory and the sting of defeat, this hilariously illustrated rhyming book lets us laugh at our own (and our little sibling’s) attempts to prove otherwise.

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was the compact camera. This sprightly tale of curiosity and determination puts the spotlight on the inventive young man who made photographers of all of us, one improvement at a time.

On this date, September 4, in 1888, George Eastman registered the trademark Kodak. You can learn more here.

A couple weeks ago I was having dinner with a group of novelists (who also happened to be my clients). We were talking about the terrible waiting that's always involved in publishing. At every step of the journey, whether you're agented or not, published or not, there seems to be a huge need for patience. The waiting sometimes gets unbearable.

We bemoaned the difficulty of developing patience. Is it even possible, or just wishful thinking?

Wow! What a cool insight, and a terrific goal: To be able to exist in a state of impatience, and be okay with it.

To be waiting, and longing, and frustrated that it's taking so long (whatever it is) and still be okay, still have a measure of peace.

To me, that seems like a more realistic goal for writers, and possibly a healthier one. After all, we don't want to completely lose the impatience, because it's part of what drives us. It creates a tension inside us, and as we strive to calm the tension, we're working towards our goals. You could even say that the impatience keeps the fire lit beneath us.

What would it mean for you, to stop trying to be more patient, and instead tolerate your impatience better?

Taking it one step further, how can you use your impatience and actually benefit from it?

I'm at the stage where I have two WIPs but nothing ready for publication. Very new to the whole writing game.When I read about the publishing industry, sometimes it does make me impatient.

It's at times like that I remind myself that in thirty years when I have a few books published, Lord willing, and am struggling to get time away from raving fans, e-mails, speaking engagements, and being famous, I'll wish for the days when I was unpublished and just writing.

Then I'm a little more patient and enjoy the stage I'm at currently.

Anonymous said, on 9/29/2009 9:37:00 AM

If the news is good, then I'm very impatient--but if it's bad, it can wait.

I sit here with a little mea culpa smile on my face. I was reading the posts with a smug feeling that I was happy to be where I am in my writing life. I know I am in for the long haul and I am enjoying the scenic ride. In the middle of reading the comments, I got interrupted - for an hour - and what pops up? You guessed it, that old nemesis impatience. I want what I want when I want it - let me get back to my computer - NOW!

So yes, impatience is part of my life, too, in spite of my mistaken belief that I had conquered that foe.

Thanks Christy and Rachelle for reminding me that I have not yet arrived...

A timely post for me. I'm not so much learning to benefit from my impatience, nor, I suppose, tolerate my own, but I am trying my hardest not to inflict it on anyone else. Which, I guess, allows others to tolerate me. Different means, same end. ;)

Of course I have to agree with Anne L.B. partly because everything she says is brilliant, partly because she speaks my heart so coincidentally well ;) Everyday Christ seems to be growing me in some inexplicable way towards acceptance and away from the frustration that is bred through impatience. Focusing in on Christ doesn't hurt either.

If you want to learn to be patient, try working with sensitive animals. Nothing teaches you to control your impatience better than a traumatized horse. If you don't take things slow and manage your own reactions, the horse will let you know (and you might just get hurt...).

Whenever I need to remember what waiting does for me, I look at the lives of those who have never had to wait, strive or develop patience.

Child stars, for example. They're notorious for flaming out spectacularly in their teens, turning to drugs and wild living that ends up causing them tremendous pain.

They don't have self-control because they've never had to learn to delay their gratification, to put off what feels good and instead endure the long haul of humble work.

Quick success is not good for us. It tempts us to feelings of superiority and to a lack of sympathy for others. I may struggle with the wait at times, but when I look back on it, I'm always glad that I had the chance to "build character," as our grandparents used to say. :-)

Bex says working with sensitive animals inspires patience. The same thing is true of helping the elderly. Many old people have reached the age (and disability level) where they'll tell you straight up that they're "waiting to die." But the impatience of their younger years has usually simmered down to a nice manageable level.

When I'm caring for The Moms, I put my impatience with my own life's goals on hold. It has no place at all in that situation. They need me to be even-tempered, dependable, focused, and faithful. Not fidgety, in a hurry, or apt to rush them. Helping them has required a discipline of me that I had not learned any other way.

I'm trying to apply the Peace of Abandoned Impatience to my writing life, as well. I think it's possible.....

Wow, that's the first time I've heard of tolerating impatience better :) I'm always told to learn to be more patient, whether that's with writing or something else.

Hmm, I guess my answer to your question is to try and focus on something else while waiting. I'm not at the point where I'm waiting to hear back from agents or publishers, but I'm thinking I would at least try and focus on a new project just so I don't go insane waiting.

That works with other areas too--I focus on something else. That's about the only thing that ever gets me through my impatience, even if there are many times it doesn't work :P

I used to try to run away from lousy feelings, but now I wallow a while then transfer those feelings to my characters. If I don't know how impatience feels, how will my heroine? Thanks for the great post!

Maybe I've finally learned my lesson about impatience, but it's not bothering me much right now. After I blew through my twenty best agent picks without noticing how many queries I'd sent out - well, now I've slowed down. LOL. Hard won lessons.

I think Christy's onto something. One thing I'm learning to recognize is when I start to feel this push to something, anything! Almost like a panic, to make something happen. Usually it's triggered by seeing so many colleagues moving forward in their careers while I feel woefully left behind. That's a dangerous place to be. I've learned to see it and just start praying right there on the spot. I think the enemy uses that against us too. So, yes, I think we can recognize that we're impatient, yet keep a balance in trusting God for the timing and details.

The trickier question for me is when should I "do" and when should I "wait"? :-)

patience is checking you inbox a million times a day, and not calling your internet provider to ask if your email is still fuctional.patience is not going postal when you find out that your dream agent has responded to another query in nano-seconds, knowing the agent has had your query since the dark ages.patience is trusting the light at the end of the tunnel is a possitive thing after you've been ran-over by train after train after train.patience is still searching for the rainbow, when all you've ever gotten is soaked from the rain.patience is wishing upon the same star, and dreaming the same dream as milions of talented writers, without giving up.patince is trusting your future on a stranger believing your dream should be the dream shared with the world.

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

I trust God to oversee the desires of my heart and perfect them to match His will and plan for my life, today I can safely say that is to write.

I am deeply engrossed in the moment from day to day at how He opens another door to this experience. Meeting new people, stumbling across a fabulous blog, or maxing my word count in record time. With Him the possibilites are endless.

The problem with impatience in one area of life - it spills into all areas. (At least for me.) If I'm stressed about waiting -- a phone call from someone I need to include in an article -- that tension taints my patience with my husband and children. For me, it is a constant turning over and failing to turn over at times. I am impatient. Until, I completely rest in Him. (Which isn't very often btw.)

What I am learning about writing this week has come from an unexpected source.
I was asked to give a quick (15 minutes) challenge to a high school club that encourages leadership among students. I did this last year and it was a wonderful experience. The club members and sponsors read a book and their weekly meetings emphasize and explore the concepts of that book. This year's book is Do Hard

Hang in there. Good things come to those who wait. <br /><br />Mom used to say that a lot. And Mom was a very wise woman. <br /><br />For the conference: Maybe try to get more agents - people love to talk with them.

Hi, Kim. Thanks for dropping in.<br /><br />Agents, huh? Finding an agent who handle literature for children is a hard thing. Finding agents who handle literature for children in the Christian market is next to impossilbe!<br /><br />Blessings,<br />Jean

Great post. It sounds like you have normal, understandable anxiety about the conference. Perhaps it would help if you concentrate on how to make this event special for each person who shows up rather than worry about how many will come. <br /><br />Small conferences have some advantages--more individual attention, easier to feel like part of the group instead of one of the crowd, a friendly

OSH. Orchard Supply Hardware. I've been there three times in the last 36 hours. All three times I returned something that didn't fit or work. Lesson learned: Buy two things that look like they might fit, then return the one that doesn't. Good thing OSH (smaller than Home Depot, but definitely more approachable; being a green homeowner, I'm all about approachability). I now own these things from OSH:

The list goes on and it will surely grow by week's end. I've also been putting things together around the house and my back and fingers need a little WD40 every morning. In the last week, here's what I've assembled:

baby changing table/dresser

cribtravel system stroller (just the wheels and trays)

dollhouse bookshelf (for Blondie)

white stacking bins (for Blondie)Playhouse (for Blondie)Lucky Blondie

The list isn't too bad, but this doesn't include the minor annoyances I've had to fix or hang:

toilet paper holder

hand towel holder

crawl space cover

stucco foundation vents

Enough is enough. For now I'm finished. On strike. Relaxing. What I've learned through this process is that I need to be more patient. Our house isn't going to be the way we want it for a long while and I need to come to terms with that. So. I have. And it has allowed me to do other important things, like play with Blondie more, hang with Wife, and write.

But I do have one nagging issue to resolve. Anyone know of a company that cleans out spider infested places, like Bomb Shelters. More pics soon...

...unless baby boy shows up in the next 48 hours.

Patience.

Picture: Baseball practice in the morning. Playhouse assembly in the afternoon with a rush to finish before Blondie got home. 3-4 hours later = exhausted. (PMM - those gray/black socks are for you!)

Leave the bomb shelter alone until you've got more time (or until your boy grows up and cleans it so he can party with his friends down there). Do post shelter photos though...before baby arrives, otherwise it'll never happen.

I can't believe how excited I am about your new house. It's ridiculous.

I believe every sheet of music has a story of its own. The Farewell Symphony, has a unique story as well. A story about a prince who kept his musicians away from his family for far too long, and even though they had missed their families so very much there wasn't much they could have done; especially if they wanted to keep their jobs. A very unfair trade-off right? Having no choice, but to stay away from your family for a very long time or else. A wonderful story with very vibrant illustrations that are framed in different borders.

A great read-aloud and what's great about this book is that includes a CD so you can go along with the Symphony.

Hey if you love music and want to introduced something different then this is your book.

Enjoy!

Excerpt: Haydn is ask to speak on behalf of the musicians to the king.

I’m not a patient person. And I think a lot of people can relate to me when I say that. I swear, human beings were just not meant to be patient. But in this business, the need to wait for things never ends. It starts with querying, but it doesn’t end when you get that magical call. After that, you’ll still have to wait while you’re on sub, wait for edits, wait for copyedits, wait for the day your book is finally in stores, wait for your next sale, and so on. I haven’t reached any of these steps yet, but ever since I landed my wonderful agent, I’ve become more and more aware of how much waiting is still ahead of me.

Querying didn’t go quickly for me. I queried on and off for more than a year, revising, shelving, rewriting, tearing out hair. I started querying the book that got me an agent in March, and it was June before I had an offer. I’d like to say I went through the querying process with perfect grace, but I didn’t. I saved the angsting for my friends (because the world doesn’t need to see that!) but it was not always easy to wait patiently.

Still, having to wait for something I wanted so much gave me some time for introspection. I was constantly aware of my patience level, even when it was alarmingly abysmal. I started to notice my patience level elsewhere, too. And I realized something: in general, I was becoming more patient. Way more patient. I’m never going to be the queen of patience, but I think maybe I realized that I would not actually die from waiting for something.

And I think it’s kind of awesome that the skill querying taught me the most about is the one it tested the hardest. Just goes to show, you never know what you might learn.

Very good post, and one that helped me level out a bit after getting a rejection last night. I'm usually a very laid back, patient person, but recently my patience has thinned due to stresses in my life beyond my writing that only make my writing all that much more important to me.

I think the hardest thing about waiting (I'm still querying) is getting rejected after all the while being told how much an agent liked the ms. It's like getting told that you're a great person, but you still can't be my friend. Although this is business for the agents, and I want it to be a business for me as well, it seems impossible NOT to take it personally sometimes, especially when stress is high in other areas of life. I mean, how can you not take it personal - if even in a small way - when you're 'personally' very committed to succeeding?

Some days you bounce, others you don't, but you still get on your feet in the end and get back to writing... and waiting... :)

Patience! I wait and wait. Like Charlie Watts, drummer in the Rolling Stones said, his career had been "five years of work and twenty years of waiting". Waiting doesn't make me patient, it makes me strip wallpaper with my teeth.

Kaitlin, oh how I wish I would've learned patience from my query experience. Still not good at waiting for things. But one good thing I took away from querying was determination and tenacity. I would say nearly every day, "I am not giving up." That was a HUGE lesson for me.

Great post, Kaitlin! I think the waiting gets harder at each stage of the game. (Still at query stage). I've found waiting for a full response much harder than query, and from other writers' comments, it's not until you're out on sub that the true torture begins!

As I was reading this post the lyrics to a Tom Petty song popped into my head: "The waiting is the hardest part." I'll definitely refer to this post once I begin querying. Thanks for guest posting, Kaitlin.

This was such a wonderful and timely post for me. I'm currently sending out queries for a manuscript, while writing an entirely new novel. So far, I've sent out about 30 queries. At first, I received only rejections or no response, so I tweaked my query letter numerous times. I've received some wonderful feedback - my novel's been referred to as a potential best-seller, high concept, with brilliant and fun ideas, BUT no offers of representation yet. Different people have not liked different parts of the novel. I'm willing to change any and all parts of the novel, and am hoping to find someone to guide me through the edits. In the meantime, I'm learning extreme patience and becoming rather zen about the entire process. :)

It took me awhile to figure out that the whole query process wasn't a race and that the fact that it took me longer than some of the other writers I knew who were querying at the same time did not mean I was bad or wouldn't be successful.

Waiting for the next wave isn’t just waiting.You sit in the water poised, active, watchful.You’re set to start swimming as soon as the wave comes in.You sit there frustrated or upset about not swimming yet, not catching a wave, or maybe you're a bit impatient.But that’s what waiting for a wave is all about: learning to cultivate patience.To write, you need to develop the ability to sit and watch

You might argue that patience and persistence are both aspects of devotion; that both similarly imply sticking with something even if you don't want to. Granted, but I think there's one important distinction: persistence implies something more active than patience.

Here's what Natalie said:

"What I was least prepared for was the loss of control. It was easy to have faith in my agent, but at the same time it was strange not being able to do anything. I just have to...wait. In querying, when you get a rejection you can send another letter out. You can decide who to send to, when, and what. That all goes away, and while it's nice it's also weird. I was so used to working for myself, and now my writing fate is out of my hands."

For those of use who cope with difficult situations by finding something constructive to do, situations where the only thing you can do is wait are extremely trying. Put another way, the wannabe-writer-sphere is so full of encouragement to keep writing that it leaves you ill-prepared for the time when the writing is done and the waiting begins.

"But isn't that when you should work on your next book?"

Yes, of course. My point is that for some of us it can be very difficult to accept the fact that there comes a point where there is nothing more we can do to improve the chances of success for the book that's on submission--that there's no more scope for persistence--and that patience is the only way to continue.